


The Truth is in the Denial

by Beautifulsoulheart



Category: Girl Meets World
Genre: F/M, Future Fic, mostly from maya, slight angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-25
Updated: 2015-05-25
Packaged: 2018-04-01 04:16:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4005556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beautifulsoulheart/pseuds/Beautifulsoulheart
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"What did you think would happen? I would fall into my old routine and you would finally accept that I actually liked you, making my dreams come true and we live happily ever after?"</p><p>"You're right. I'm sorry," the youngest Mathews apologized. "Can I at least have one dance?"</p><p>"Sorry but I’m actually leaving early," the blonde started towards the balcony doors. "It was nice seeing you Josh."</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Truth is in the Denial

**Author's Note:**

  * For [harrythe](https://archiveofourown.org/users/harrythe/gifts).



> This is mainly for Ashleigh because I love her so much and I've had this idea for weeks since Girl Meets First Date aired.

Maya was sure that this day was long overdue. Sure her best friend was getting married but it had come a lot slower than she imagined.

In fact she had expected that it would have come soon after Lucas had proposed after their first year in college, but here they were two years later.

"I never imagined that this is how this day would go," Maya said helping Riley into her simple wedding dress.

"What did you expect?" Riley asked her best friend.

"I don't know. You and Ranger Rick getting married on a ranch in Texas and then after he'd whisk you away on another white horse," the blonde deadpanned.

"You know it's been almost ten years. When are you going to give up that nickname?"

"When it stops being true Riles. When it stops being true."

"You look so beautiful," Topanga Matthews exclaimed at her daughter.

"Thank you," both Riley and Cory said at the same time.

"Not you nimrod. Our daughter who is getting married in thirty minutes," the lawyer snarled at her husband.

“Alright. Let’s just finish getting her ready so that she can marry the cowboy,” Maya fixed the lace veil onto the brunette’s hair and stepped back. Her best friend looked beautiful, and even though she was stuck wearing a light peach bridesmaid dress she was happy to be put through the hours of discomfort for Riley and by extension Lucas.

“Do you think I’m ready for this?” Riley and looked at both her parents.

“I think you’ve been ready since your first official date as a couple,” Topanga reached up and grabbed both of her daughter’s cheeks and leant up to kiss her forehead. “You’re all grown up now.”

“Who is about to be late to her own wedding,” the wedding planner chimed in from somewhere behind the touching moment.

Maya rolled her eyes at the woman who for the past few months was more wound up than Topanga was whenever she was losing at game night. The blonde grabbed both bouquets of flowers and handed the larger one to Riley. “Let’s get you hitch to Ranger Rick.”

****

Maya sat in her seat at the head table and looked out at the crowd of people both Riley and Lucas had decided to invite to their wedding. Most of them Maya recognized from both high school and college and random members of both families she had met in the years since they had been dating.

The ceremony had gone off without a hitch. No one proclaimed their love for Riley, although Farkle had tried before Zay had placed his hand over his friend’s mouth. Maya did see Josh while she was walking down the aisle both times and she had to will the butterflies in her stomach. She knew that since he graduated college that he was travelling for a bit before he decided to put his degree to use.

"If I'd known how needy you'd be today I would have set aside more Maya time," Riley sat next to her best friend.

"I'm fine. And don't you have a groom to be dancing with?" Maya reminded her best friend and pointed to the Texan who was dancing with one of his younger cousins.

"Are you ok?"

"Riles I'm fine. I told you a long time ago, at least with Farkle I know I won't get my heart broken."

"For how long Maya? Until you get married? Have kids and you and Farkle decide that it's not worth it anymore? That's not a life to live Maya," the brunette grabbed both of the blonde's hands. "I want you to be happy. Even if it means you become my aunt."

"It wasn't meant to be. No one like me is meant to be happy," the artist pulled her hands away. 

"You know how I know that's not true? Look at your mom and then my uncle Shawn. Neither of them thought they could be happy but now she's with a great guy and my uncle Shawn is with the one who he thought got away."

"This is your wedding and you're giving me advice. Go dance with Lucas before he thinks I stole you."

"Think about what I said."

Maya watch Riley and Lucas dance for a few minutes before she got up and made her way out of the lavish ballroom. If she was going to endure the rest of this wedding she needed to get some fresh air. A few minutes she found herself out on the balcony looking over the city. The view was one of the things she lived about New York and couldn't give up no matter how hard she tried and how far she travelled. The brunette closed her eyes and took a deep breathe, letting the warm summer air hit her face.

"You know the party is on the inside," a voice came from the side of her. It was a voice she hadn't really heard in years or even let herself think about. "Hey Maya."

"Hey yourself," the blonde opened her eyes and looked at the man who was the object of her childhood crush. "Shouldn't the uncle be inside telling embarrassing stories?"

"I could ask the same thing since you are the best friend."

"So come to chat and catch up on our lives?"

"Something like that," Josh turned around so that he was facing the windows into the ballroom and his elbows were resting on the metal railing. "I was hoping to see you this weekend."

"Well here I am," Maya remained forward. She wasn't going to let herself get sucked into the loop that was Joshua Matthews.

"You haven't changed."

"I've changed Josh. I'm just not the girl waiting for you to acknowledge her crush anymore. I grew up."

"Maya."

"What did you think would happen? I would fall into my old routine and you would finally accept that I actually liked you, making my dreams come true and we live happily ever after?"

"You're right. I'm sorry," the youngest Mathews apologized. "Can I at least have one dance?"

"Sorry but I’m actually leaving early," the blonde started towards the balcony doors. "It was nice seeing you Josh."

As Maya made her way around the room and greeted all the people who had shown up she felt really happy. Everyone that she had invited had showed up, even her newlywed best friends had postponed their honeymoon for a few days so that they could be here for her. 

"I just want to thank everyone for coming tonight to my opening. It's been a long road but I'm proud of these works of art and what they represent of me. So look around some more and feel free to ask me any questions you may have on any piece of art," Maya toasted the room later that night after she made her way once around the gallery.

She had made her way once around the room. It was still pretty early in the evening but there were so many people that Maya couldn't believe that all these people wanted to see her art. After she was congratulated by a few more people she went and stood by her favorite painting.

Maya had managed to translate her _Dungeon of Sadness_ into a piece that was the reason she was being featured in the gallery.

" _Dungeon of Sadness_. I'm a little insulted that I'm not in it." He was there. She was touched that he came even if she hadn't invited him. Although his voice caused a small amount of butterflies to accumulate in her stomach.

"Well that was eleven years ago," Maya tapped her ring on her glass of champagne. "I don't remember you being on the guest list Josh."

"Riley invited me. She said I should make some gesture or another."

"Gestures don't work for me. Sorry you wasted your time."

“I figured that much. I only came by to say that I made a dinner reservation for two tomorrow at your favorite restaurant at 7 o’clock. If by 7:30 p.m. you aren’t there I’ll take the hint.”

Maya watched Josh walk away sat down on the bench in front of the piece. Part of her really wanted to take his offer and maybe finally be able to say that she could have her piece of happiness. Looking at the painting that was sitting on the wall in front of her she couldn’t help but think why it was her favorite.

At first she had started it because it was an idea that wouldn’t leave her until she had flushed it out even more. It had started with the dark gray and black background, and then she had started to add the pink ribbons of one shoe and then she added a few more pairs of shoes and once she was done with that she had added the doll and it was perfect.

The gallery showing ended about an hour later after her talk with Josh and she had managed to sell most of her paintings including the _Dungeon of Sadness_ one. Maya was slightly sad to see that piece go but she knew that it would be the start of her art career. She may have had an art degree but that was more for show to say that she actually had went to college to do something.

Once Maya was home she had finally taken the chance to turn on her phone and look at the various messages from people congratulating her on her show that night. There was also a message from Riley that she had to have sent after Josh had left the gallery, _Go on the date. It is time for your happiness._

Maya sighed and turned off her phone for the night. It wasn’t doing her any good staying up when she had to be in the studio for most of the day. She had also decided that she wasn’t going to think about Josh’s dinner proposal.

****

It was 6:30 p.m. the next night when Riley had found her in her studio. To her credit she and Lucas weren’t scheduled to go on their honeymoon until the next day.

“I thought I would find you here. You have a date,” Riley reminded her as she opened the loft door that served as the entrance to Maya’s studio.

“That is because I am not going,” Maya looked back behind her to see her best friend. She had the easel facing the window because she wanted to be able to see the view that the city gave her and that she loved so much.

“You’re going,” Riley walked over to the easel and tried to take a peek at what Maya was working on.

“No peeks. This is a gift,” the blonde turned her friend away from the easel and towards the direction of the kitchen.

“I did bring you a gift. It’s the black cocktail dress from your apartment,” the brunette showed her friend the garment bag that she had brought in with her.

“Riley I’m not going.”

“Maya how much do you think Shawn and Angela regret that they wasted so much time apart when they could have been together for years?”

“Riley,” the other woman started to defend herself.

“You’re going to dinner even if I have to drag you there,” her best friend grinned and started to push her best friend towards the bathroom door. “Everything you need is in that bag and the cab and Lucas will be here in twenty minutes to take us to the restaurant.”

“Wait why is Lucas coming along?”

“Because we are going to a movie and just dropping you off on the way.”

Maya sighed knowing that she wasn’t going to win this argument with Riley and her having Lucas as her back up. Maya got dressed and did her makeup with the bag that Riley had put into the bag with the dress.

By the time the cab and Lucas had come to get both women Maya had changed her mind about five different times about whether or not she was going to actually go to dinner or pretend she did.

The trio had pulled up to the restaurant at 7:15 p.m. and Maya was nervous to say the least. She hadn’t been on a date in years and she wasn’t counting the ones that involved Farkle. They were never actual dates in her opinion even if Farkle wanted them to be more than friends at the time.

“Maya! We have a gentleman waiting at your favorite table,” Sarah the hostess that usually greeted her once she had decided to walk in after much prodding from both Riley and Lucas. “He’s cute too.”

“Thank you Sarah,” Maya laughed before she walked towards the table towards the back of the restaurant. True to Sarah’s word she found Josh at her table, he did look a little nervous and disappointed. The blonde stood there and watched as he checked his phone and placed it back in his coat pocket. “You look a little nervous there Josh.”

“I thought my date was standing me up,” the man said as he stood up and pulled out her chair for her.

“And here I thought chivalry was dead,” the blonde laughed as she allowed Josh to push in her chair. “You also have a very persuasive niece.”

“Remind me to get her and Lucas a better wedding present,” the brunette laughed nervously.

“I’ll make sure to do that.”

Maya was going to comment on how nervous Josh was when her favorite waiter Mark had come to take their order. Maya had tried everything on the menu but stuck with her usual favorite of chicken parmesan and a side house salad. Josh had ended up ordering steak and a bottle of red wine.

“So if Riley hadn’t suggested that you come by the gallery for my show would you have gone?” Maya asked as they both waited for their dinners to be prepared and delivered to their meals.

“I would have. I am actually a fan of your art,” Josh told her confidently.

“Well that is interesting. Can I ask why?”

“You just have this honesty about what you create and I like that, it’s also what I like about you.”

Maya smiled at the statement and looked down at the table and put a fallen strand of her blonde hair behind her ear. If she was being honest the date was going exactly where she had hoped it would go. She wanted to take Riley’s advice and find her happiness, she at least deserved that much. “Been that way since the day I was born.”

The rest of the night had gone on to more of a lighter side of conversation. They both had managed to stay away from topics that they weren’t ready to tackle just yet. Josh had insisted that he pay the check like the gentleman he was but he did let Maya pay the tip which she was happy to do.

Josh did insist that they share a cab to save money and Maya suspected that it was also an excuse to make sure that she made it home safe.

“Tonight was fun,” Josh pointed out as he started walking Maya the short distance from the curb to the front door of her apartment building.

“Yeah it was,” Maya smiled as they stopped just short of the door. She wasn’t ready to go inside just yet. She had a feeling that Riley and Lucas had camped out in her living room waiting for her to come home.

“Although you did have me worried though. I was afraid that I had blown another chance with you.”

“Oh Joshua. We both know that Riley would never let that be the end.”

Josh laughed thinking about his niece and how much she sounded like Cory from the stories he heard growing up. “So are you free this weekend?”

“I’ve actually got a few things to work on this weekend but you could come by my studio and I could show you what I’m working on,” the blonde offered up an alternative. Her weekend did involve her finishing the painting for Lucas and Riley before they got back from their honeymoon.

“Sounds like a plan,” the brunette man leaned over and kissed the woman on her cheek. “I have to go before I run a huge cab fare.”

Josh turned to walk towards the cab that had been sitting for the past five minutes and Maya’s body had made the decision before her mind knew what was happening. She had grabbed Josh’s arm and pulled him into a deep kiss. It was one she had been wanting to do since she first laid eyes on Josh on that Christmas she had spent with the Matthews family all those years ago.

It felt like hours had gone by when Maya had pulled away much to her resistance. The cab driver had honked his horn much to her annoyance and ruined her semi-romantic moment.

Josh place his forehead on Maya’s and smiled as he caught his breath for a minute. “I better go.”

“Yeah you should. I would invite you up but I’m pretty sure your niece and my best friend and her husband are waiting in my living room.”

“I was given strict orders to go nowhere near your apartment by many people,” the man admitted with a laugh.

“Well we better listen then. I’ll call you tomorrow,” Maya stepped away from the body heat that Josh was providing her.

“I look forward to it. Goodnight Maya.”

“Night Josh.”


End file.
